The antinuclear governor of Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on Wednesday formally launched a new political party with a promise to phase out Japan's reliance on nuclear power within 10 years, aiming to make the nuclear energy debate a key issue in the Dec. 16 general election. [link to english.kyodonews.jp] .

The chief of Japan's nuclear regulatory authority on Wednesday suggested that Tokyo Electric Power Co. needs to improve its safety culture if it wants to resume its idled reactors, touching on a series of problems seen before the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi complex last year.

Referring to deformed sections of spent fuel rods at TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture and the revelation in 2002 of the utility's coverup of defects, Shunichi Tanaka told a press conference, "To tell the truth, I think there may be something wrong (with this utility)." [link to english.kyodonews.jp] .

The International Atomic Energy Agency plans to use a Fukushima prefectural government facility as a base for joint operations to address the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident, Japanese government sources said Wednesday.

The IAEA and the prefectural government seek to inaugurate the base, which will engage in such operations as radioactive decontamination and health management services for local citizens, in the first half of next year. [link to english.kyodonews.jp] .

ATLANTA (AP) — Contractors building a new nuclear plant in eastern Georgia have indicated the first reactor may be further delayed, potentially pushing back the start of its commercial operation into early to mid-2017, a Southern Co. executive said Tuesday.

The utility has not agreed to that timeline and maintains that contractors can still speed up the construction of two new reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, said David McKinney, the utility's vice president of nuclear construction support for the new plant. Construction delays have the potential to increase the utility's costs, which are ultimately paid by the roughly 2.4 million customers of Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power. [link to www.nucpros.com] .

SEOUL - South Korean nuclear regulators have discovered nearly a thousand more parts supplied for nuclear power plants with fake quality certificates, they said on Tuesday, adding that this would not lead to further reactor shutdowns.

Revelations that fake certificates were supplied by eight firms forced the shutdown of two of the country's 23 reactors this month, raising the risk of winter power shortages. [link to www.cnbc.com] .

GLP's best Fuku thread: Thread: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and linkstwitter: #citizenperth“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on it, I would use the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I knew the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”- Albert Einstein

TOKYO — A group of American scientists is meeting in Tokyo this week to study last year’s Fukushima nuclear accident in hopes of finding lessons to improve the safety of U.S. atomic power reactors.

Norman Neureiter, head of the 22-member committee of the National Academy of Sciences, said the tsunami-spawned disaster at Fukushima nuclear power plant and its continuing impact have caused widespread concerns about the safety of nuclear energy. [link to www.japantoday.com] .

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 28515904

During Tuesday’s hearing, Toyoshi Fuketa, a Nuclear Regulation Authority commissioner, acknowledged the need to study ways to improve safety culture, but his organization is too busy setting up new safety and radiological protection standards and other framework.

“We have to study safety culture, but frankly speaking at the moment we do not have enough resources, enough time, or enough personnel,” he said.

The group will compile a report to be released in April 2014.

He said the group is still in “an investigative stage” and the process will go on for a long time.

GLP's best Fuku thread: Thread: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and linkstwitter: #citizenperth“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on it, I would use the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I knew the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”- Albert Einstein

South Korea's chief negotiator for North Korea's nuclear programs plans to visit Beijing on Thursday, amid mounting concerns about the North's possible launch of a long-range missile.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that during his 2-day visit, envoy Lim Sung-nam will meet China's senior officials, including Wu Dawei who chairs the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program. [link to www3.nhk.or.jp] .

FUKUSHIMA — Fukushima Gov Yuhei Sato on Wednesday visited a site in Futaba that currently stands as a potential candidate for the storage of radioactive waste and debris from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crisis.

Sato told reporters that there were some remaining points of concern that could only be verified by an on-site inspection, Fuji TV reported. Sato said he is still discussing with Environment Minister Hiroyuki Nagahama to confirm whether or not the site meets the government’s guidelines for a storage facility. [link to www.japantoday.com] .

The leaders of Japan's major political parties discussed their respective nuclear policies during a webcast debate Thursday ahead of next month's general election, with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reiterating his eagerness to take steps to phase out nuclear power in the 2030s. [link to english.kyodonews.jp] .

A group of around 1,100 people filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking the suspension of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, arguing it will cause irrevocable damage if an accident occurs.

In the complaint filed with the Kyoto District Court, the plaintiffs said the four reactors at the plant are prone to damage by the possible movement of faults believed to be running underneath. [link to english.kyodonews.jp] .

The next generation of nuclear operators is being trained in the most modern nuclear plant simulators in the world, at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro.

Over the next year and a half, more than 100 operators will be trained on the systems and integrated plant operations of the AP1000® reactor. This will involve using the two AP1000 control room simulators for 16 hours per day. [link to www.nucpros.com] .

China's nuclear power installed capacity will hit 42 gigawatts by 2015, accounting for 10 percent of the world's total, a Chinese nuclear official predicted on Wednesday.

There will be 41 operating nuclear power units in China by 2015 or a little later, Zhang Huazhu, chairman of the China Nuclear Energy Association, told a seminar in Zhuhai City of south China's Guangdong Province.

"At that time, China will be building nearly 20 extra nuclear power plants," he said at the seminar under the theme of "Nuclear Power and Environment" co-sponsored by two universities in Beijing and Hong Kong. [link to en.ce.cn] .

The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has admitted to suffering a data breach that leaked the email addresses of more than 150 people allegedly involved with Israel's nuclear weapons program.

A hitherto-unknown hacker group calling itself Parastoo claimed responsibility for the breach in a statement released to Pastebin on Tuesday, saying, "You will be hearing game changing news from us frequently from now on." [link to www.theregister.co.uk] .

As Washington hunts ill-defined al-Qaeda groups in the Middle East and Africa, and concerns itself with Iran’s eventual nuclear potential, it has a much more pressing problem at home: Its energy grid is vulnerable to anyone with basic weapons and know-how.

Forget about cyber warfare and highly organized terrorist attacks, a lack of basic physical security on the US power grid means that anyone with a gun—like disgruntled Michigan Militia types, for instance--could do serious damage.

For the past two months, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has been tasked with creating a security strategy for the electric grid and hydrocarbon facilities through its newly created Office of Energy Infrastructure Security. So far, it’s not good news. [link to www.testosteronepit.com] .

(I am concerened about 1. The amout of food they keep talking about and 2. The building of greenhouses and 3. why do they keep sending young people there?).. it seems a little 'that'll fix it' to me after all is said and done, and 'oh look' international children can go there..... seems like summer camps in Berlin in the last days of the European conflict....

GLP's best Fuku thread: Thread: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and linkstwitter: #citizenperth“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on it, I would use the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I knew the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”- Albert Einstein

GLP's best Fuku thread: Thread: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and linkstwitter: #citizenperth“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on it, I would use the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I knew the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”- Albert Einstein

GLP's best Fuku thread: Thread: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and linkstwitter: #citizenperth“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on it, I would use the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I knew the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”- Albert Einstein

GLP's best Fuku thread: Thread: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and linkstwitter: #citizenperth“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on it, I would use the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I knew the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”- Albert Einstein

<snip>Fukushima Prefecture faces a serious shortage of nurses and health workers, due largely to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, it has emerged.

The Fukushima Nursing Association said that as of the end of August, the number of unfilled jobs was 4.41 times higher than the number of applicants. The number of young people receiving checkups is expected to increase in line with the Oct. 1 launch of a system providing free medical care to people aged 18 or under, and the association remains concerned about the situation, which could hinder health checks, saying a shortage of people in the medical profession could impede local restoration efforts.

GLP's best Fuku thread: Thread: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and linkstwitter: #citizenperth“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on it, I would use the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I knew the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”- Albert Einstein

The agency said more than 60,000 homes will be offered the vouchers, or about 180,000 people. The agency obtained 215,000 pills at no cost from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

“This time, we were able to partner with Walgreens, which we think will make it a lot more convenient to people who want to obtain it on their timeframe,” Thompson said. “There is no expiration date on the offer.”

She stressed that evacuation or remaining in a shelter still are the most effective ways to protect the whole body from radiation exposure. “We will always be looking for ways to prevent any exposure to the body.”

[snip]Oyster Creek is the only nuclear plant in the country that does not have a High Pressure Coolant Injection System that is designed to cool the plant in the event of a small line break, he said. The safety system was required in all plants after Oyster Creek and because the Forked River plant doesn’t have one, workers must manually reduce pressure in the reactor.

“The crack found in the nozzle, that would have been a small line break,” said Gundersen, who studied nuclear engineering and has a nuclear operating license.

The pinhole leak is a larger issue than the NRC and Exelon is letting on, he said.“Pinhole leaks rapidly grow when in use. The pinhole wouldn’t have been a pinhole very long,” he said.

The leak should not just be repaired but plant operators should examine the entire piping with an ultrasound to find out if there’s further damage, he said.

“How many other pinhole leaks are there and what’s the cause,” he said. “I’m afraid the NRC and Oyster Creek are just sweeping this under the rug to start back up.”

Griffith says that preliminary studies indicate that that several structures affected by ASR are fully functional, but that the owner, NextEra Energy will take steps to seal concrete in those areas if the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires it.

December 2nd will mark 70 years since scientists achieved the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, without knowing then, or now, what to do with the radioactive waste it would generate.

“What this date should remind us is that no permanent, safe location or technology has ever been found - and may never be found - to isolate even the first cupful of radioactive waste from the biosphere,” said Kay Drey of St. Louis, MO, a longtime anti-nuclear activist and board member of the Takoma Park advocacy group, Beyond Nuclear. “The first step must be to stop making any more of it.”

How is that 'cold shutdown condition' going..?Feel like a frog in a pot, yet..?

Radiation levels in Fukushima Daiichi Reactor 3 more than doubled in many locations since measured last year [link to enformable.com]

[snip]

TEPCO announced that the robot used to enter the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 Reactor Building measured radiation levels up to 4,780 mSv per hour, nearly three times the 1,300 mSv reading taking in the same location last year on November 14th, 2011.